Mdou trades in unrelenting grit and has no qualms about going full shred.

A long time coming,Ilanais Mdou’s first true studio album. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a US tour by engineer Chris Koltay (who met after bonding over ZZ Top’sTres Hombres), Mdou lived in studio for a week, playing into the early hours and accompanied by an all-star band: Ahmoudou Madassane’s (Les Filles de Illighadad) lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje’s machine gun drums, and Michael Coltun’s structured low-end bass.

The result is Mdou’s most ambitious record to date, taking tradition into into an ever louder and blistering direction. From the rock anthemTarhatazed, to the Van Halen tapping ofKamane Tarhanin, Ilanastands amongst the greats of classic rock, albeit accidentally.